Does Sergei Pavlovich have a longer reach than Jon Jones? Here is all you should know

A potential matchup between Sergei Pavlovich and Jon Jones has become a hot-button topic in the MMA community, given the former's recent victory over Curtis Blaydes. Pavlovich faced Blaydes in a pivotal heavyweight matchup that headlined the UFC Fight Night card on Saturday, (April 22, 2023)

The fight witnessed Pavlovich secure a dominant first-round TKO win over divisional mainstay Curtis Blaydes. The stoppage against Blaydes helped the Russian MMA stalwart extend his win streak to six, with all six wins coming by way of first-round KO/TKO.

The 30-year-old Pavlovich is now being hailed as the biggest threat to the 35-year-old Jon Jones' UFC heavyweight title reign. One of the biggest talking points regarding a potential Pavlovich-Jones matchup is that Pavlovich happens to be one of the rare fighters who's almost similar to 'Bones' in the reach department.

Jones, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, has always been known to enjoy a significant reach advantage over most opponents. Nevertheless, after he moved up to heavyweight in March this year, many foresee him facing heavyweights with a greater reach than the previous opponents he faced at light heavyweight.

The UFC generally lists Jones as 6' 4" tall with a reach of 84.5 inches. Meanwhile, Pavlovich is usually listed by the UFC as 6' 3" tall with a reach of 84 inches.

Jones and former UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve (7' 0" tall) are tied for the second-longest reach in UFC history at 84.5 inches, while Pavlovich stands at No. 3 with an 84-inch reach.

The fighter with the longest reach in UFC history is former UFC heavyweight Dan Christison (6' 8" tall), who boasted a reach of 85 inches.

Moreover, Pavlovich also holds the distinction of being the MMA fighter with the largest ape index (+9.0"). In simple terms, the phrase 'ape index' implies the ratio of arm span to height.

Furthermore, Jones has considerably bulked up as compared to his light heavyweight days. 'Bones' weighed in at 248 pounds for his most recent fight, which was his maiden heavyweight bout. Meanwhile, Pavlovich weighed in at 260.5 pounds for his most recent fight, his aforementioned matchup against Blaydes.

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Sergei Pavlovich on possible UFC heavyweight title shot, potentially fighting Jon Jones

During the post-fight press conference after his win against Curtis Blaydes, Sergei Pavlovich was asked how long he's willing to wait for a shot at the coveted UFC heavyweight title. Pavlovich responded:

"I'll rest, I'll eat, I'll sleep. I'll rest some more. I'll wait."

The consensus is that UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones could defend his title against former champion Stipe Miocic next, likely in November. When asked about his prediction regarding the expected Jones-Miocic matchup, Sergei Pavlovich said:

"Honestly, it's a 50-50 toss up, so I don't care."

Watch Pavlovich's post-fight presser below:

Moreover, UFC interviewer Charly Arnolt asked Sergei Pavlovich what makes him so confident that he'll be the one to defeat the legendary Jon Jones. Pavlovich replied:

"The fight will show. I will prepare. I will be super ready, but the fight will show."

Watch Pavlovich's conversation with Arnolt below: